Pastor Pamela Williams didn’t believe the news when she picked up a phone call from her girlfriend last month.
“She said, ‘Get to the church now,’ and I said, ‘What? Why?’ She said, ‘It’s on fire,’” Williams recalled. “I was just in disbelief.”
Calls continued to pour in Aug. 29 as Williams rushed to Good Shepherd Presbyterian Church in the 6400 block of Lansdowne Avenue. Williams is the pastor of Ark of Refuge Tabernacle, an LGBT-affirming congregation that has operated out of Good Shepherd for the last five years.
“I screamed as I saw it,” Williams said about the fire, which gutted the 100-year-old church. “I saw the flames coming out of the building, which was fully engulfed. I was there when the roof caved in, and I watched the firemen break out those beautiful stained-glass windows. The effect it had on me was visceral; I just had to cry. That was like my second home. It’s where I went to feel comfortable, where I felt joy, felt the greatest connection not only to God but to the people. It was just unimaginable.”
The cause of the fire has not been made public.
Williams said her congregation, one of several that shared space in the church, lost all of its possessions: musical instruments, a PA system, microphones, mic stands, books, materials for social dinners and more.
“We’re still compiling the full list,” she said.
Williams said the Rev. Katie Aikins, pastor of Tabernacle United at 3700 Chestnut St., offered the church’s space for Ark of Refuge services. The first service was held this past Sunday.
“She reached out and opened her doors to us for a safe space for worship and programming and it’s been a wonderful experience,” Williams said. “We’re going to be there on a continual basis at 2 p.m. on Sundays, and going forward we’re going to maybe talk about making it permanent.”
The congregation also hosts Bible study at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays.
Williams, a lesbian, said her congregants come from all walks of life.
“They are persons who come with a desire to worship Jesus the Christ. They come from varied backgrounds, different economic statuses, different races, some are heterosexual and some are same-gender-loving. But our focus is on radical inclusivity of Jesus Christ, where we include all persons who want to build a greater relationship with God through Jesus Christ,” she said. “People have said it’s a ‘gay church,’ and I have to correct them. We’re a church that affirms and respects all individuals. I am an unapologetic, African-American lesbian woman and at the same time I am a baptized Christian and an anointed preacher. So my goal is to extend the invitation to all who would desire to come and worship with us.”
Ark of Refuge has started a fundraising page to help build support after the fire. Proceeds may eventually go toward helping the congregation secure its own building, Williams said.
The congregation also welcomes donations of musical equipment and other items to support its worship services and programming.
For more information, visit https://www.gofundme.com/arkfire.